kscans

Chapter 198 - SS. A Bear Dad's Treasure

"It’s done."

Going back in time, to Chihiro’s Fatima era.

In the kitchen of the Frontier royal palace, a large shadow was moving about. The man, with a shaggy beard that connected to his hair, nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. His name was Drago La Giorgione. He was an honorary baron who had risen through the ranks on the strength of his cooking skills alone. Still in his chef's coat, he carefully carried something up the stairs at the back of the kitchen and placed it on a table on a small terrace.

I hope she’ll be happy.

Imagining the little girl’s eyes widening in surprise, Drago’s lips curved into a grin. Then, taking off his chef's coat and changing into a stylish jacket, he eagerly went off in search of the said little girl. That little girl was Drago’s daughter, her name Chihiro La Giorgione. They were not related by blood. He had taken in a street urchin he happened to find and adopted her. After many twists and turns, the little girl had recently celebrated her third birthday, and tears welled up in Drago’s eyes at his daughter’s growth. When he first met her, she was a sooty, grimy child. Emaciated, frail, and small. That pitiful figure was still etched in Drago’s mind. Fortunately, nurtured by his full affection, the little girl grew up plump and healthy. Her birthday was celebrated grandly, and it was a fond memory for Drago that he had cried his eyes out as everyone celebrated with her.

Around this time, near the end of spring. It was in this season that Drago had met Chihiro.

How nostalgic.

A strange sense of emotion welled up in his chest, even though not much time had passed. With such thoughts, Drago arrived at the home he had been granted within the royal palace.

"Where is Chihiro?"

The maid, Sasha, answered her master who had asked after clearing his throat lightly.

"The young lady said she was going to the Knight Order."

"The Knight Order? For sweets?"

Although the food situation in Frontier was not bad, sweets were very scarce due to the lack of sugar and other ingredients. Drago’s daughter, who had free access to honey due to various circumstances, used it to quickly popularize many sweets in the royal palace. She also spread new methods of cooking and embroidery that did not exist in Frontier, greatly surprising the people. A little girl who scattered mysterious things and brought happiness to people. No one knew who started it, but people called such a little girl the Little One. The true identity of the Little One, who was called an angel or a fairy, was actually an Earthling. Her previous life name was Sagami Chihiro. No one knew this, but due to the terribly sad sweet situation, she had caused a stir with one thing after another and was now a celebrity in the royal palace. The little girl was not left alone by those around her, but she herself was running wild at her own pace. She had charged into the forest in search of honey, became close with the king’s younger brother, and made the Knight Order and the consort swoon with the sweets she made from that honey. There was no shortage of topics about her, and Drago was constantly on edge. On his way to the Knight Order, the Bear in the Kitchen crossed paths with Dorfen of the Knight Order, and they both spoke the same words.

""Have you seen Chihiro(-sama)?""

He was the Little One’s exclusive guard knight. It seemed he had lost sight of the little girl somewhere. Due to various circumstances, the Little One had been adopted by the king and queen and held the rank of a princess. It was only a title, but for that reason, she had an exclusive guard knight.

"Chihiro is missing?"

"I thought she had returned home."

Is she lost? She’s inside the royal palace, so I don't think it's serious.

There was a similar incident before, and when the Little One didn’t return for a whole night, Drago thought he would go mad. He had run around with Dorfen in a frenzy, searching the entire palace, and when they found her, the little girl was in a gap where adults couldn’t enter, unable to move. It had been on the verge of becoming a major disaster. Since then, the Little One had made it a point to return home for snack time. There were only about ten minutes left until that time. Dorfen, who knew this, was on his way to Drago’s home, thinking the Little One might have returned. Drago had just come from home, but it was possible they had missed each other somewhere.

"Then I shall go and check your home."

"Thank you. If you find her, please tell her to come to the kitchen. And not to eat her snack. I’ll go check the Knight Order."

After exchanging words, Drago saw Dorfen off towards his home and visited the Knight Order’s training grounds.

"The Little One-sama? She said she was going to the kitchen and headed towards the palace a little while ago."

Hearing this from a familiar knight, he dropped his shoulders, thinking they had missed each other again. With a slightly tired face, he headed to the kitchen. However, the Little One was not in the kitchen, which was empty during a break.

Where on earth could she be?

As Drago wondered, he heard the sound of small footsteps. He rushed out into the hallway, and the footsteps went further up the stairs.

Is that Chihiro?

He followed them out to the terrace, and there was the familiar frog like figure from behind. Noticing Drago following her, she turned around with a wide smile on her face.

"Papa, this is amazing!"

As Drago had expected, the little girl’s eyes sparkled. On the table he had prepared, a full afternoon tea set was fragrantly present. A cake stand with several types of fresh cakes, warm tea from a magical tool. Scones with honey and clotted cream were also placed there. It was the first formal tea set ever seen in Frontier, where there was no culture of sweets. The Little One had been drawn in by this scent and caught.

"Ah, you said it before, didn’t you? That you wanted to have a tea time with sweets like this."

Drago’s eyes softened as he picked up the little girl and placed her on a chair.

"It feels so special! Thank you, Papa."

"It is special. Today is the day I met you, Chihiro. It’s our first anniversary."

The little girl’s eyes widened. She probably hadn’t thought that Drago was thinking the same thing. Chihiro took out a package she had been carrying to give him today from the pocket of her poncho. Fidgeting, the Little One offered her small hands to Drago. In them was a scarf embroidered with a honeybee and the words "Thank you, Papa."

"To commemorate the day we met. I worked hard on it."

A flood of tears blurred Drago’s vision.

Ahhh, God! I truly thank you!

Drago wept like a man, and the little lady happily stuffed sweets into her mouth. A few days later, a red scarf that stood out beautifully against his white chef’s coat was wrapped around his neck, and the Little One watched the cheerful Drago with a shy expression.

The little one in your castle. The little girl is doing just fine today.♪